Introduction
The history of the United States (US) is full of paradigm shifts that have turned American domestic politics, society, and the economy on its head. There are many cultural lenses through which one can trace this civilizational and historical process, such as literature and music. American mainstream cinema, namely Hollywood, is among the most revealing ones. For example, its history of cinematic genres is an ideal retrospective display of race relations within the country in general and its cultural engagement with the theme of race specifically. The existence of films like Birth of a Nation and Hallelujah in the short time frame of 15 years says many things about these topics (Weisenfeld, 2018). This paper explores these two films’ cultural elements and imagery to identify historical changes in terms of racial aspects.
Changes in Perceptions and Depictions of Race
Historical Resentment in Birth of a Nation and Bloodthirsty Dehumanization of Black People
One might say that the two classic films of American cinema mentioned above showcase how the White community perceived the Black one in the first three decades of the 20th century. Birth of a Nation was not only about promoting “Christian white supremacy” (Weisenfeld, 2018, p. 131). It has also been a historical resentment of conservative White Americans, especially those of Southern origin, which was engendered by the Civil War and Reconstruction results. Black people are shown as savages, molesters, sexual predators without any humane thing in their minds in the film. Moreover, the movie shows the African American community as a socially inactive and passive group that could become part of the US political structure only thanks to the white person. As one can see, Hollywood had a racist perspective on Black people while treating white persons as one of the perfect guardians driven by virtue in 1915.
The Naive Curiosity of White People for Black Culture and the Path to Self-Awareness in Hallelujah
After 15 years, Hollywood moviemakers offer Black audiences race films. It needs to be noted that “in many ways, race movies set themselves up as a counter to the overtly racist displays of African-Americans in mainstream American popular culture” (Weisenfeld, 2018, p. 131). Hallelujah depicts Black people as a diverse community that includes various social classes such as plantation workers, farmers, rich people, religious figures, and criminals. The film realistically shows them as an independent functioning society. Black characters, including good ones and bad ones like Zeke and Chick, are also presented as living personas with various human emotions. There is almost no simplification or exaggeration of race in Hallelujah. Whether driven by money or natural, cultural shift, Hollywood has dramatically changed its perception and depiction of African American people for the better. It is safe to say that it was a tremendous evolutionary leap in racial perspective for American movie makers from a racist dehumanizing caricature to a naive but realistic image.
Conclusion
This short essay presents a comparative analysis of the racial perspective of Hollywood at the dawn of the 20th century. Two opposite films in terms of narrative, message, and visuals were contrasted here, Birth of a Nation and Hallelujah. The analysis showed that the evolutionary change that has occurred in the perception of the race by Hollywood directors and screenwriters is objectively positive. Fortunately, similar cultural evolutionary leaps are happening in the global cinema sector nowadays towards other ethnic and social minorities.
Reference
Weisenfeld, J. (2018). Teaching morality in race movies. In C. McDannell (Ed.), Religions of the United States in practice, volume 2 (pp. 131-140). Princeton University Press.